“Since its pilot implementation, Secretary Rex Gatchalian has been announcing the scale up plan for the WGP. Now, they are on their first redemption day, buying vegetables, fruits, and other nutritious food for their families,” Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao, who is also the DSWD spokesperson, said on Monday (January 20).

These new beneficiaries used their Php3,000 food credits loaded in their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card during their first redemption day.

They are among the first 300,000 households that form part of the target 750,000 WGP household- beneficiaries.

The remaining beneficiaries who have not joined the redemption days are expected to avail the affordable and nutritious food from February 10 to 28, depending on the schedule of the redemption day in their areas.

In a recent interview of Secretary Gatchalian said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr directed to review the current amount of food credits and assess if there is a need to adjust them.

“Naatasan din tayo ng Pangulo na pag-aralan pa na mabuti kaya may panibagong pilot train na tatakbo this year mula Enero hanggang July, kung saan tinitignan natin dahil sa taas ng presyo ng bilihin yung Php3,000 pa ba ay sapat pa o kailangan nang i-adjust,” Secretary Gatchalian said in an interview over PTV last January 13.

The DSWD’s WGP, institutionalized as the government’s flagship anti-hunger program through Executive Order No. 44, was pilot tested in 2023 with over 2,000 household-beneficiaries across the country.

“The WGP aims to bring down the incidence of involuntary hunger experienced by Filipinos from low-income households,” Asst. Secretary Dumlao said.

The WGP also promotes social and behavioral change among food-poor families by teaching them how to prepare nutritious, delicious, and affordable meals. (YADP)